As finishing touches are applied to Nebraskaland National Bank’s big new building at the south entrance of North Platte, the bank announced it will also open a drive-thru in the Westfield shopping plaza.

Bank President Mike Jacobson told the Bulletin that a few final touches remain at the new three-story main bank between the one-way streets of Leota and Dewey.

He said the new restaurant inside the bank, Bailey’s, will be the first part to open, within days, and the bank itself will open in about three weeks if work stays on schedule.

Jacobson said the Westfield branch of Nebraskaland National Bank will open in June in the building that Great Western Bank is vacating.

Finishing touches

“We have a few things to finish at the main bank,” Jacobson said, “Installing furniture, computers and some outside landscaping.”

“Our first focus is to open the restaurant,” he said.

Bailey’s restaurant will be located on the third floor, offering higher-end lunch and dinner. Nearby rooms will accommodate parties, small conferences and business meetings, with food served by the restaurant.

A Bailey’s coffee shop will be on the first floor, offering family breakfasts, lunches and dinners, plus a coffee bar called The Switch, with an outdoor window to serve drive-by customers.

Bailey’s and The Switch will pay tribute to Union Pacific and Bailey Yard, the largest railroad yard in the world. Both the first and third-floor restaurants will be on the south end of the building and open onto outdoor patios when the weather is warm.

Westfield

Jacobson said the community in the west part of the city encouraged the bank to open in the Westfield plaza at 1800 West A St. where Great Western Bank is vacating.

Nebraskaland expects to take possession of the building in April, do a fairly extensive remodeling and reopen in June.

“We have a lot of calls from the area, encouraging us to open a branch there,” Jacobson said. “I initially wasn’t wild about it, but the Westfield merchants and residents in that part of town asked us. With our new building, we think we have things pretty well covered in North Platte, but at the end of the day it made sense.”

Jacobson said drive-thru lanes at Westfield will be modernized and widened, with a drive-up ATM and message center.

An application has been made to federal banking regulators to approve the Westfield branch, which should be a routine procedure, Jacobson said.

“We plan to have the design work done, take possession April 1 and go in, demo and remodel over the next 60 days, and hope to open by June,” Jacobson said.

This report was first published in the Bulletin's Nov. 6 print edition.